Classic novel taken off GCSE syllabus due to ‘problematic’ content The classic US novel Of Mice and Men has been removed from the GCSE syllabus after being deemed too ‘psychologically and emotionally distressing’ for children.
During her research into children’s experiences of racism with the classroom, Ms Cifuentes said many black children had ‘specifically mentioned this text and the harm that it caused them’.
Rhian Evans, an English teacher at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin in Carmarthen, said the book ‘would be missed’ as it was accessible to students of all literary levels and allowed for discussion of ‘how we treat each other in general in our societies’.
John Steinbeck’s 1937 novel set in the Great Depression has been a mainstay of the English Lit curriculum for years – but will be taken off the syllabus in Wales due to concerns about racism.
Marley, 16, told the BBC he listened to the audio book with the rest of the class while studying Of Mice and Men.
